The Aftermath
by ink.stain7
Summary: Artemis finds the courage to tell the team about her family. Their reaction is less than promising, and Artemis has a hard time. But one redheaded runner comes around a little sooner than the others... *One-shot, Spitfire! Read and Review!*


**Hey guys sorry i havent uploaded in a while! I could find a myriad (SAT word XD) of excuses but im too lazy to list them all. Anyway, here's a one-shot about what happens after Artemis tell's the truth about her family. Spitfire, beware! Enjoy, REVIEW PLEASE!**

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><p>She had made the decision to tell them. Finally, she had trusted them enough to tell the truth about her family. Her father. Her sister. Finally, she had opened up to them, thinking they knew her well enough to accept her. Hell, she was scared of there reaction. But she thought that... Maybe now...<p>

Her hand went to her swelling cheek and she closed her eyes, the pain immediately bringing her back.

"_You're_ the mole! M'gann, get away from her!"

Artemis had tried to speak, tried to explain.

"M'gann, I-"

"_Get away_!"

Superboy had lost it. With his superior strength, his back fist had sent her flying into the wall across the room. She had stood up. Expected someone to stand up for her. To ask if she was alright. Someone. At least for Wally to make some snide comment. He had to. He wouldn't let her down, he-

Silence. And after a moment, Robin spoke quietly as he glanced at Conner. "That was unnecessary, Conner." Even Robin, the one who knew about her past, wouldn't look at her.

"Never come back, you dammed mole!" Conners screams of rage echoed around her. She looked at each of her teammates. Kaldur looked at the ground, confusion and disappointment etched into his features deeply. Artemis had felt the pain in her chest like a stab. Robin looked away; she couldn't see his face. Conner looked like he would kill her if her had the chance, but the pain was on his face, too. M'gann's expression nearly brought her to tears. Betrayal lanced across her features, and tears pooled in her eyes. Her arms were crossed in front of her, one hand in front of her mouth. She stated at the wall. Conner noticed Artemis looking at her, and stepped in front of her, as if to protect her.

They saw her as a threat.

Wally _did_ bring her to tears, only later. He looked like someone had stabbed him, gritting his teeth and wringing his hands. She had expected this; she had. But... She hadn't. No snide comment wound itself out of Wally's mouth to snap at her. He didn't stand up for her.

No one did.

She couldn't stay there. "I'm not the mole." the only words she felt they were entitled to before she left. And then she exited thought the zeta tubes into the cool night air.

And made her way to where she was now. The rocks near the ocean, a few miles away. A few tears fell as the memories of her friends faces came into her view again, but she wiped them away viciously. She knew they felt betrayed. That was why she hadn't told them. But she had come to trust them, come to trust that they could believe her again, given a little time. Their reactions told her otherwise. To put it bluntly, she felt betrayed by them. No, she was betrayed by them. Pain hit her, both physically and mentally as she voiced it to herself, as if that made it even more real. God, it hurt. She had warned herself never to trust; why hadn't she listened?

She sat and pulled her knees up to her chest, cold sea spray and icy wind chilling her to the bone. A few more tears escaped as Wally, then M'ganns, face flew before her face.

Even Robin...

Shivers traveled up her spine, more from emotion than the cold. She could feel the emotion fading away, the hurt, as it always did, to leave her numb. She didn't know what to do. The night air revealed crisp stars, and she stared up at the as the numbness finished settling. Her heart twisted painfully once, but then it was gone.

She sat there for what seemed like hours before going home. Everything felt cold, and she didn't sleep at all.

_Even Wally hates you._

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><p>The next morning came too fast. She never closed her eyes. But it didn't matter. She got ready, got dressed, putting on her hero outfit. She couldn't stay here. Not after this.<p>

She left a note for her mother not to worry; she would be home soon. A day or two, at most. The allies welcomed her with their wretched scent and dank murkiness. She accepted it wholeheartedly. She needed darkness right now. She felt some emotion rise in the pit of her stomach, but pushed it away forcefully. She didn't want to feel yet. Her family had betrayed her.

The knife came to her throat, then along her still swollen cheek, just barely breaking the skin. A voice echoed in the darkness. She ignored it, and walked away.

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><p>She hadn't wanted to end up here. Yet here she was, at the old telephone booth, ready to enter the zeta tube. Why was she doing this to herself?<p>

_Because I'm too used to being strong_, she answered for herself.

The robotic voiced heralded her entrance, but she barely noticed. She was determined to stay numb. She could stand taller that way. Maybe.

She walked past the others on her way to her room at the cave. None of them looked at her except Robin, who greeted her as normal, if a bit cooler than usually.

"Hey, Artemis."

"Hi." she heard the rawness in her voice, and could see that Robin did too; his eyes softened as her turned back to his computer. Artemis thanked god that Conner wasn't there; she couldn't deal with that. Watching M'gann simply go into camouflage was hard enough.

She turned away from the hallway that led to her room, instead finding herself heading for the gym.

At first, her punches were weak, emotionless. But as she hit harder and harder, she could feel her pain rising, each successive hit squeezing her heart tighter.

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><p>Wally watched her from the doorway. He didn't know what to think. Didn't know what to feel. He could only pinpoint two emotions. One was anger; how could Artemis betray the whole team like that? How could she trick herself into justifying it? He was enraged. But beyond the anger was guilt; how could he let Artemis suffer that abuse from Conner, and not say anything? How could all of them have sat there as she left?<p>

_"I am not the mole."_

Despite his better judgment, he believed her. She had to know it.

He entered the gym quietly; Artemis didn't even know he was there. He spoke quietly, too, his voice portraying his confusion- and determination.

"I don't think your the mole, Artemis." She spun around to face him, shock appearing on her face. He got the first good look at her cheek, swollen, starting to bruise, and scratched; guilt coursed through him. He ran down to her, faster than she could see. He should have protected her when she had a problem. He hadn't.

"I believe you, Artemis." he said her name again. She didn't see to under stand that he was talking to her. She actually glanced around, making sure no one else was in the room. As what he said sank in, a few tears came to her eyes.

It struck him with great force just how vulnerable this made her; just how much they had hurt her by their actions. He wrapped his arms around her. She just stood there, still as night. But he felt the few hot tears land on his chest.

"What are you doing, this is my favorite super suit!" The joke was clear in his voice.

She raised a hand and whacked him over the head, still in his embrace.

"Careful, Bay Watch."

He smiled. Artemis was back.


End file.
